Garden Photo of the Day

A Sunflower Festival

With some dahlias too

big mass of sunflowers

Today, regular GPOD contributor Cherry Ong from British Columbia, Canada, is sharing photos from a trip she took recently.

Thought your readers would enjoy some photos from my visit to the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival. It’s quite an amazing feeling to be surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus, annual), dahlias (Dahlia × variabilis, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb), and gladiolas (Gladiolus hybrids, Zones 8–10 or as tender bulbs)—much like you’re being hugged by a good friend!

For those who are curious about the varieties of sunflowers that they grow, these are some of the labeled names found in the field: Orange Hobbit, Little Becka, Sundance Kid, Double Dandy, Autumn Beauty, Lemon Queen, Lemon Eclair, Stella Gold, Orange Ruffles, Black Beauty, Ruby Eclipse, Red Wave, Velvet Queen, Moonshadow, Jade, Salt N Roast, Sunrich Orange.

double-flowered sunflowersThis double-flowered sunflower has extra layers of frilly petals.

multi-colored sunflowersThis bicolored sunflower looks like it might be the variety ‘Ruby Eclipse’.

sunflower with narrow petalsThis sunflower has unusual, narrow petals; it looks like the variety ‘Stella Gold’.

field full of sunflowersA wide view of the sunflower fields shows off all the different sizes and colors of blooms.

big mass of sunflowersJust amazing—flowers as far as you can see!

sunflower with dark red petalsThere are incredible dark blooms on this one, which is perhaps the variety ‘Black Beauty’. Extra beauty comes from the stems and leaf veins, which have a bit of a dark color as well.

mix of different colored dahliasThere was also a sizeable dahlia border! The brochure says the festival grows 60 varieties of dahlias. These are the varieties listed along the patch: Alfred Grill, Andrew Charles, Barabosa, Cafe au Lait, Ferncliff Inspiration, Happy Halloween, Jaxon, Karma Gold, Penhill Dark Monarch, Purple Flame, Purple Taiheijo, Tricolor.

dark pink dahliasA look down the long plantings of dahlias.

light pink and yellow dahliaThis perfect dahlia bloom looks like the variety ‘Alfred Grill’.

 

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Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 09/08/2021

    Thanks for sharing, Cherry. Beautiful aren't they?

    1. perenniallycrazy 09/08/2021

      Yes they are. Too bad the photos don’t really relate the scale of the garden.

  2. sheila_schultz 09/08/2021

    Wowzer!!! Now, that's what I call a Pollinator's Heaven and a colorful feast for the eyes. Thanks, for sharing, Cherry. It must have been a fun excursion!

  3. sheila_schultz 09/08/2021

    Wowzer!!! Now, that's what I call a Pollinator's Heaven and a colorful feast for the eyes. Thanks, for sharing, Cherry. It must have been a really fun excursion!

    1. perenniallycrazy 09/09/2021

      It was worth getting up early for and driving 1.5 hours to !

  4. User avater
    simplesue 09/08/2021

    That is an amazing sight to see! Thanks for sharing!

  5. btucker9675 09/08/2021

    How can you not smile when viewing these photos! Just wonderful and that final dahlia is a floral firework. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    1. perenniallycrazy 09/09/2021

      You're welcome. My pleasure!

  6. User avater
    bdowen 09/09/2021

    Amazing! I would love to try some of those sunflower varieties. If only the chipmunks would let the seeds I plant actually grow! What a beautiful scene in your photos.

  7. perenniallycrazy 09/09/2021

    You're welcome. My pleasure.

  8. marpin214 10/14/2021

    doggroomingmodesto.com/

    I love sunflowers, very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

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